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London designer Dan Britton has created a typeface that's intentionally difficult to read to simulate the problems faced by people with dyslexia.

Design graduate Britton – who was diagnosed with dyslexia in his third year of university – wanted to create a typeface that would demonstrate the effects of the disorder, which impairs reading ability. Dyslexia is estimated to affect 10 per cent of the world's population, according to UK charity Dyslexia Action.

"What I wanted to do was recreate or simulate the emotions of reading with dyslexia to try and put across how frustrating it is to try and read something simple," Britton told Dezeen.

He sliced up the commonly used Helvetica typeface – created in 1957 by Swiss designer Max Miedinger – to delete 40 per cent of each letter and number, removing their key characteristics but leaving enough to make them just about legible.

The intention is that a reader has to take their time to decipher which letters are used in words and sentences, slowing them down to the speed of someone with dyslexia.

"You can't skim through, you have to pick out and read each individual letter, then piece together the words, then sentences and paragraphs," Britton said. "The whole process of reading is 10 times slower, similar to that of a dyslexic reader, to recreate the embarrassment of reading with everyday type."

The project began as a self-initiated graphic design assignment during Britton's studies at the London College of Communication, for which he decided to apply his experiences of dyslexia to help others understand some of the symptoms.

"I felt it was a very misunderstood condition, there isn't really an understanding about it and I wanted to try and tackle that in a way that hasn't been done before," he said.

Britton contacted the British Dyslexia Association and other similar organisations to review the promotional material they use to help build awareness of the condition.

"It's some of the worst design I've ever seen," he said. "More importantly, it didn't convey a message and it didn't tell anyone anything."

He used his typeface to create a series of 3D posters, layering text written with his sliced characters behind a perspex sheet that carried the parts needed to fill the gaps in a different colour.

Promoting an exhibition about dyslexia that took place last month, the message on the poster read "Reading slower than normal?" and included the information about the dates and venue.

"What I've found all through my life – and I'm sure many others are the same – when you tell someone you're dyslexic they say 'yeah, whatever'," said Britton. "They just can't comprehend it because they haven't experienced it and there's nothing to translate that over."

He explained that serif fonts are the most difficult for him to process, so he avoids reading newspapers entirely. However larger type and letters with curved elements, like the much-loathed Comic Sans typeface, are easier.

"When I was younger, I remember Comic Sans being friendlier to read even though its a crap typeface," Britton said. "Anything with a nice curve is better."

His tutor showed the project to a member of the UK parliament, and the designer hopes that the government will use it for various applications to raise awareness about dyslexia. "I'd love to get it developed some time soon because I think it can help," Britton said.

Comments

No offence, but as soon as I had eyed over it a few times I could read it fluently no problem. If it was around you everywhere and you are taught it for 11+ years in education as it is then you would fly through it too.

luke cameron

Obviously. But that is not the point. The idea is to portray the difficulty dyslexics face every time they read. The initial difficulty you have on first reading (not fourth or sixth) is comparable to how difficult it is for dyslexics every time they have to read something. I would know.

Dis

Exactly, and it fails to do so.

Debbie Jackson

I actually have to agree with Dis that this typeface wasn't a massive impediment to me, at least not in the way the article suggests: the first time I scanned the paragraph I got all but two or three words at about 1/3 of my normal reading speed. It's dependent on a certain level of pattern recognition which some people are uncommonly well adjusted to, so some of us will pick it up more quickly. That said, I got all but two or three. Being unable to immediately decipher a word is an experience I simply don't encounter normally.

I feel that this project is insightful, a very intelligent and original way in which to communicate the difficulties inherent in reading to a dyslexic if the viewer comprehends that their experience is equivalent to a very mild variant of the condition and that - unlike those without the condition - dyslexic people aren't able to familiarise themselves with the pattern but are trapped at the equivalent of the first encounter.

zsolmanz

Aye. Although at first it may simulate the difficulty of Dyslexic reading, this type-face may in fact cause further scorn for dyslexic people by being so easy to learn.

A better simulation would limit normal readers to highlighting specific letters in order to clarify them, forcing them to piece the words together as a Dyslexic person must. (I appreciate that the object was not to simulate Dyslexia, but perhaps it should be).

Dis

Or maybe one of those fonts which have four versions of each character and vary between them randomly (saw this with an Einstein font). That would work far better.

Yachirobi

It's a simulation. It can't fully capture the actual experience of having dyslexia.

Redwan

This typography is not designed to recreate what it would be like to read to read if you were dyslexic, it is designed to simulate the feeling of reading with dyslexia by slowing the reading time of the viewer down to a speed of which someone who has dyslexia would read.

Dis

Like I said, I can read it fluently. Thus it works for a few seconds then is pointless.

Debbie Jackson

The average reaction to this exhibit however will lie a little way below your level of pattern recognition. An example font geared towards the highest common denominator wouldn't function at all for large portions of the population. The exhibit relies on a reasonable expectation of eventual comprehension to get its message across.

Matthew

What is your point Dis? This is NOT about YOU... this is about people who have dyslexia. Again, this is not about YOU, and you have made it painfully obvious you want this to be about YOU! Sorry, it's not... get on with your life and stop trolling...

luke cameron

I love it when design is simplified so well that it can easily communicate such a complex issue as dyslexia.

As a dyslexic myself I think this is a amazing piece of design work. Although not perfect and obviously doesn't fully replicate being dyslexic, I can't wait to show it to people, as a tool to be able to finally communicate the difficulties dyslexics face when reading.

SCAQTony

There is a font called Dyslexie for dyslexics like myself that is a God send font if you have to read aloud.

The paragraph example is a very accurate assessment on what it is like to be dyslexic; but you do spot some complete words.

skt

Whilst dyslexia makes reading difficult, the source of the difficulty is not visual but a phonological sound/symbol matching process; obviously the situation is exacerbated if the symbol is unclear but the root of the problem is auditory.

Clearsense

I have this disease and this guy clearly does not know what it is like to have it or what you see. His type does not help us and is full of crap. He has no clue. I suspect he is mis-diagnosed.

Debbie Jackson

I don't believe it's supposed to be an accurate rendition of the dyslexic reading process, more a metaphor designed to educate those without the condition and raise their awareness of the severe difficulties involved. That said though, I would be interested in what would work better - what would you suggest as a more accurate comparison?